Method for producing piezoelectric actuator, method for producing liquid droplet jetting apparatus, piezoelectric actuator, and liquid droplet jetting apparatus

Abstract

A film-forming nozzle is moved so that a boundary portion of a plurality of areas on which a piezoelectric material layer is formed by a film-forming nozzle moving relative to a vibration plate is positioned outside deformable portions of the vibration plate and overlaps with restricted portions. This reduces stress concentration on a portion of the piezoelectric layer corresponding to the boundary portion of the deposition areas, and therefore, damage of the piezoelectric material layer is prevented.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of an ink-jet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an ink-jet head;

FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in FIG. 3;

FIGS. 6A to 6C are explanatory views of producing steps of the ink-jet head;

FIG. 7 is a schematic structural view of a film-forming apparatus;

FIG. 8A is a view showing a positional relationship of a vibration plate and a film-forming nozzle in a certain area of the vibration plate when a piezoelectric material layer is formed;

FIG. 8B is a view showing a positional relationship of the vibration plate and the film-forming nozzle in another area of the vibration plate when the piezoelectric material layer is formed;

FIG. 8C is a plan view showing a relationship between a jetting area and active portions;

FIG. 9A is a plan view of an ink-jet head;

FIG. 9B is a side view of a piezoelectric actuator seen from a scanning direction;

FIG. 9C is a side view of the piezoelectric actuator seen from a paper feeding direction;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of an ink-jet head according to a first modified embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a partial enlarged view of an ink-jet head according to a second modified embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13A is a plan view of an ink-jet head according to a third modified embodiment;

FIG. 13B is a side view of a piezoelectric actuator according to the third modified embodiment seen from a scanning direction; and

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view, corresponding to FIG. 4, of an ink-jet head of a fourth modified embodiment.

Claims

1. A method for producing a piezoelectric actuator which includes a substrate having a plurality of deformable portions and restricted portions defining the deformable portions; and a plurality of thin film layers which are disposed on the substrate and which is provided with driving electrodes arranged to overlap with the deformable portions and a piezoelectric material layer, the method comprising: a step for providing the substrate; anda step for forming the thin film layers on the substrate,wherein the step for forming the thin film layers includes forming at least one thin film layer among the thin film layers on a plurality of areas defined and adjacent to each other on the substrate, by jetting, to the areas, aerosol which contains particles forming the at least one thin film layer and carrier gas from a film-forming nozzle while moving the film-forming nozzle relative to the areas so that a boundary portion of the adjacent areas is positioned outside the deformable portions.

2. The method for producing the piezoelectric actuator according to claim 1, wherein a slit from which the aerosol is jetted is formed in the film-forming nozzle, and the slit has a size to an extent that a jetting area formed of the aerosol jetted to the substrate covers at least one of the pressure chambers.

3. The method for producing the piezoelectric actuator according to claim 1, wherein any of the deformable portions are formed within the defined areas.

4. The method for producing the piezoelectric actuator according to claim 1, wherein in the step for forming the thin film layers, the film-forming nozzle is moved relative to each of the areas to make the boundary portion overlap with the restricted portions as viewed from a direction orthogonal to the substrate.

5. The method for producing the piezoelectric actuator according to claim 4, wherein the substrate has a deformable portion row in which the deformable portions are aligned in a predetermined direction; and in the step for forming the thin film layers, the at least one thin film layer is formed at one time entirely on an area overlapping with the deformable portion row as viewed from the direction orthogonal to the substrate, by moving the film-forming nozzle relative to the substrate in the predetermined direction.

6. The method for producing the piezoelectric actuator according to claim 1, wherein in the step for forming the thin film layers, the piezoelectric material layer is formed by jetting aerosol which contains particles of a piezoelectric material and carrier gas, from the film-forming nozzle to the substrate.

7. The method for producing the piezoelectric actuator according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is electroconductive; the thin film layers include an insulation layer; and in the step for forming the thin film layers, the insulation layer insulating the substrate and the driving electrodes from each other is formed by jetting aerosol which contains particles of an insulative material and carrier gas from the film-forming nozzle to the substrate.

8. A method for producing a liquid droplet jetting apparatus including a channel unit having a plurality of pressure chambers arranged along a plane, and a plurality of jetting nozzles communicating with the pressure chambers respectively; and a piezoelectric actuator having a substrate which is disposed on one surface of the channel unit to cover the pressure chambers and which includes deformable portions facing the pressure chambers, restricted portions at which the piezoelectric actuator is joined to the channel unit, and a plurality of thin film layers disposed on the substrate and including a piezoelectric material layer and driving electrodes arranged on one surface of the piezoelectric material layer, and the driving electrodes being partially overlapping with one of the deformable portions, the method comprising: a step for forming the thin film layers on the substrate; anda step for providing the channel unit on the substrate,wherein the step for forming the thin film layers includes forming at least one thin film layer among the thin film layers on a plurality of adjacent sectional areas on the substrate, by jetting, to the areas, aerosol which contains particles forming the at least one thin film layer and carrier gas from a film-forming nozzle while moving the film-forming nozzle relative to the areas so that a boundary portion of the adjacent areas is positioned outside the deformable portions.

9. The method for producing the liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a slit from which the aerosol is jetted is formed in the film-forming nozzle, and the slit has a size to an extent that a jetting area formed of the aerosol jetted to the substrate covers at least one of the pressure chambers.

10. The method for producing the liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein any of the deformable portions are formed within one of the sectional areas on the substrate.

11. The method for producing the liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein in the step for forming the thin film layers, the film-forming nozzle is moved relative to each of the areas to make the boundary portion overlap with the restricted portions as viewed from a direction orthogonal to the substrate.

12. The method for producing the liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the substrate has a deformable portion row in which the deformable portions are aligned in a predetermined direction; and in the step for forming the thin film layers, the film is formed at one time entirely on an area, overlapping with the deformable portion row as viewed from the direction orthogonal to the substrate, by moving the film-forming nozzle relative to the substrate in the predetermined direction.

13. The method for producing the liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one thin film layer is the piezoelectric material layer.

14. The method for producing the liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one thin film layer is an insulation layer.

15. A piezoelectric actuator, comprising: a substrate having a plurality of deformable portions and restricted portions defining the deformable portions; anda plurality of thin film layers which are disposed on the substrate and which include a piezoelectric material layer and driving electrodes arranged on one surface of the piezoelectric material layer, each of the driving electrodes overlapping at least partially with one of the deformable portions,wherein at least one thin film layer among the thin film layers has a plurality of areas adjacent to each other, and a boundary portion of the adjacent areas is positioned outside the deformable portions.

16. The piezoelectric actuator according to claim 15, wherein the at least one thin film layer is the piezoelectric material layer.

17. The piezoelectric actuator according to claim 15, wherein the at least one thin film layer is formed on each of the defined areas adjacent on the substrate by jetting, to the areas, aerosol which contains particles forming the at least one thin film layer and carrier gas from a film-forming nozzle while moving the film-forming nozzle relative to each of the defined areas so that a boundary portion of the adjacent areas is positioned outside the deformable portions.

18. A liquid droplet jetting apparatus, comprising: a channel unit having a plurality of pressure chambers arranged along a plane and a plurality of jetting nozzles communicating with the pressure chambers respectively; anda piezoelectric actuator including: a substrate which is disposed on one surface of the channel unit to cover the pressure chambers, and which has deformable portions facing the pressure chambers and restricted portions, at which the piezoelectric actuator is joined to the channel unit; and a plurality of thin film layers which are disposed on the substrate, and which include a piezoelectric material layer and driving electrodes, the driving electrodes being arranged on one surface of the piezoelectric material layer to overlap with the deformable portions respectively,wherein at least one thin film layer among the thin film layers of the piezoelectric actuator has a plurality of areas adjacent to each other, and a boundary portion of the adjacent areas is positioned outside the deformable portions.

19. The liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the at least one thin film layer is the piezoelectric material layer.

20. The liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 18, wherein at least one thin film layer is formed on the adjacent areas on the substrate, by jetting, to the areas, aerosol which contains particles forming the at least one thin film layer and carrier gas from a film-forming nozzle while moving the film-forming nozzle relative to each of the adjacent areas so that a boundary portion of the adjacent areas is positioned outside the deformable portions.

21. The liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 18, which is an ink-jet printer.